Allen seemed like he was getting a respectable deal early on, but considering how his numbers skyrocketed once Mike Yeo replaced Ken Hitchcock, that $4.35M could be a Cam Talbot-ish bargain.

It stings to lose Kevin Shattenkirk, but for all we know, Parayko may eclipse Pietrangelo as the Blues’ best defenseman before their contracts expire. Considering how nice a bargain Pietrangelo is, St. Louis has some very good things going for them in the high-end.

Speaking of that defense …

Things get more interesting when you consider contracts that will be up sooner.

In particular, there could be decisions to make after 2018-19, at least if GM Doug Armstrong isn’t as proactive as he tends to be. Here are some notable defensemen who only have two years left: Jay Bouwmeester ($5.4M), Carl Gunnarsson ($2.9M), Robert Bortuzzo ($1.15M), and Nate Prosser ($650K). Joel Edmundson, meanwhile, is slated to be an RFA after this season.

Edmundson seems like a keeper, but beyond that, the Blues must ask some tough questions about players like Bouwmeester. J-Bo already reached the 1,000 games plateau, and he’s just 33.

Such choices might end up being tough, yet at least the Blues have options. That’s especially true if Vince Dunn eventually makes the leap and Jordan Schmaltz can reach some of that first-round potential.

Who else will join the core?

Considering his $7M price tag, Paul Stastny hasn’t always lived up to his billing in St. Louis, placing him under pressure to earn a new deal with his current contract expiring after 2017-18. Even so, there’s also pressure on the Blues to decide what to do with Stastny; what would be a reasonable price to re-sign him or would they move him for assets much like they did with Kevin Shattenkirk?

The Blues would honestly be smart to sign the 21-year-old for cheap, as there have been more than a few flashes of brilliance already with Fabbri. If they don’t, though, the 21st pick of the 2014 NHL Draft could easily parallel Viktor Arvidsson – in production, if not style – this coming season.

***

A greedier Blues fan might be a little frustrated to see the team take the careful approach over the last few years, including letting David Backes and Troy Brouwer walk.

To an extent, St. Louis seems to lack that “surplus” scorer that really drives pre-season hype through the roof. It’s also up to Mike Yeo to build on the work Ken Hitchcock left behind.

Still, when you consider the lack of albatross contracts and the handful of good-to-brilliant deals on the books, the Blues seem like they’re in a pretty good place. The question is: can this group do better than that?

When it comes to talented young defensemen, the St. Louis Blues don’t rebuild so much as they reload.

Consider, for a moment, what transpired last season. A pair of 24-year-olds, Colton Parayko and Joel Edmundson, cemented their places as core d-men of the future. Jordan Schmaltz, the club’s first-round pick in 2012, made his NHL debut. And this came on a Blues defense in which veterans Alex Pietrangelo and Jay Bouwmeester continued to carry the mail, finishing first and second on the team in TOI per game.

Now, there appears to be another kid on the horizon: Vince Dunn, the 20-year-old taken in the second round of the ’15 draft.

Dunn turned pro last season following a three-year junior career in Niagara, and performed extremely well. He led all AHL Chicago blueliners with 13 goals and 45 points in 72 games, then racked up another six points in 10 playoff contests. He repped the Wolves at the AHL All-Star Game, and finished as the league’s top rookie d-man scorer.

In most organizations, that would have you knocking on the NHL door.

But the Blues aren’t most organizations.

As mentioned above, there’s a ton of depth on defense. Pietrangelo, Bouwmeester, Parayko and Edmundson are locked in as the top four, and Blues GM Doug Armstrong has options for the bottom spots in veterans Carl Gunnarsson, Robert Bortuzzo, Chris Butler and Nate Prosser.

As such, Dunn is facing an uphill battle to crack the roster, especially since marinating him in the AHL for another campaign is an easy call.

Yet there is something to consider — increased offense from the back end.

Like many clubs, the Blues have it from the top-end guys. Pietrangelo produces an an elite rate, which included a career-high 14 goals last year, and Parayko has averaged 34 points over his first two years on the job. But after those two, things dry up. Edmundson and Bouwmeester aren’t offensively-minded guys, while Bortuzzo and Gunnarsson combined for just 11 points last year. The Blues also lost a significant offensive weapon by dealing Kevin Shattenkirk to the Caps at the deadline.

Dunn wasn’t the only youngster Armstrong singled out, though. Schmaltz was in the mix, as was former Providence standout Jake Walman (who left school to turn pro in March). Still-unsigned RFA Petteri Lindbohm is also right there, having played 40 big league contests over the last three seasons.

So, put it this way. It would be a mighty big leap for Dunn to stick in St. Louis this fall. But given how he responded to the jump from junior to the AHL, making it shouldn’t be ruled out.

Also remember that McPhee can strike deals with teams to not pick certain exposed players, though such arrangement will come at a price. In addition to that note, it’s crucial to remember that younger players might not be exposed just because they weren’t protected, as some are exempt.

Remember, when you see the lists…Players on Entry Level Contracts…or ELCs as @JeffMarek calls them…don't have to be protected.

Parayko, 23, has blossomed into one of the NHL’s best young d-man prospects since breaking into the league. He finished eighth in Calder voting as a rookie — on the strength of a nine-goal, 33-point campaign — and forged out an even bigger role for the Blues this year, scoring 35 points in 81 games while averaging 21:12 TOI per night.

He was leaned upon heavily in the playoffs. Head coach Mike Yeo upped Parayko’s ice time to 23:44 a night, behind only Alex Pietrangelo and Jay Bouwmeester. Parayko responded by putting up five points in 11 games.

This all makes for a pretty intriguing offseason. Parayko will suit up for Canada despite not being under contract — always a dicey proposition — and he’s in line for a big ol’ raise.

Parayko just wrapped the last of a two-year, entry-level deal that carried a minuscule $858,750 cap hit. Undoubtedly, that figure will go up significantly with his extension.

In terms of comparables, Parayko could be eyeing the six-year, $30 million deal Toronto’s Morgan Rielly scored coming off his ELC, or perhaps the six-year, $31.5 million extension Hampus Lindholm inked in Anaheim. All three defensemen are 23 years old and were taken at the 2012 draft, though Rielly and Lindholm have logged over 300 games at the NHL level (Parayko’s at 160).

St. Louis currently has four blueliners under contract through 2019: Robert Bortuzzo, Carl Gunnarsson, Jay Bouwmeester and captain Alex Pietrangelo, who is signed through 2020. Next summer, Armstrong will need to extend another of the club’s talented young d-men — Joel Edmundson, who goes restricted in 2018.

The crowd in St. Louis was sent to stunned silence at the scary sight of Nashville Predators rookie Kevin Fiala crashing feet-first into boards during the first period of Game 1.

Fiala was taken off the ice on a stretcher after he awkwardly hit the boards following a hit by Blues defenseman Robert Bortuzzo. An arena announcement indicated that Fiala will be taken to a nearby hospital.

It’s a cruel twist for the 20-year-old forward, whose high-end speed stands out most when you first see him. A bit longer than a week ago, he scored the biggest goal of his career as he ended Game 3 against the Chicago Blackhawks with the overtime-clincher. Now one has to wonder about his bigger-picture health.

Members of the Blues and Predators both escorted Fiala off the ice during a stunning moment for all involved.